Liquid discharge apparatus

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured to discharge a liquid onto a print target, a carriage configured to hold the head and reciprocally movable in a main-scanning direction, a sealing configured to seal a nozzle surface of the head, and a support configured to hold the print target and movable in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, the support including a space configured to accommodate the sealing in the support.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
 a head configured to discharge a liquid onto a print target; 
 a carriage configured to hold the head and reciprocally movable in a main-scanning direction; 
 a sealing configured to seal a nozzle surface of the head; and 
 a support configured to hold the print target and movable in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, the support including a space configured to accommodate the sealing in the support. 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support includes: 
 a stage on which the print target is placed; 
 an opening in the stage; and 
 a shutter configured to openably close the opening, and 
 the sealing is configured to pass through the opening to move to a sealing position to seal the nozzle surface of the head. 
 
     
     
       3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the sealing is inside an area of the opening in a plan view of the stage. 
 
     
     
       4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support includes: 
 a stage on which the print target is placed; 
 an opening in the stage; and 
 a shutter configured to openably close the opening, and 
 the head is configured to pass through the opening to move to a sealing position at which the sealing seals the nozzle surface of the head. 
 
     
     
       5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the sealing is inside an area of the opening in a plan view of the stage. 
 
     
     
       6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sealing is movable outside the space of the support in the sub-scanning direction. 
 
     
     
       7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a fan configured to exhaust an air in the liquid discharge apparatus, 
 wherein the sealing is closer to the fan than the support in the sub-scanning direction when the sealing seals the nozzle surface of the head. 
 
     
     
       8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support is movable to a position at which the sealing is exposed outside the liquid discharge apparatus. 
 
     
     
       9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a housing including an opening and a cover configured to openably cover the opening, the housing configured to accommodate the head and the sealing and expose the sealing to an outside of the housing from the opening with opening of the cover. 
 
     
     
       10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a fan configured to exhaust an air in the housing, 
 wherein the housing is configured to expose the sealing and the fan to the outside of the housing from the opening with opening of the cover. 
 
     
     
       11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the sealing is movable to a position facing the cover of the housing in the sub-scanning direction. 
 
     
     
       12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support includes a stage on which the print target is placed, and 
 the stage is movable in the sub-scanning direction between the head and the sealing in a state in which the sealing faces the head. 
 
     
     
       13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sealing is disposed inside a region of the support in the main-scanning direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sealing is disposed inside a region of the support in the sub-scanning direction. 
 
     
     
       15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sealing includes a cap configured to cap the nozzle surface of the head. 
 
     
     
       16. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support includes a conveyor configured to convey the print target in the sub-scanning direction, and 
 the sealing is inside the conveyor. 
 
     
     
       17. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
 a head configured to discharge a liquid onto a print target; 
 a sealing configured to seal a nozzle surface of the head; and 
 a conveyor configured to convey the print target in a sub-scanning direction, 
 wherein the conveyor includes: 
 a stage on which the print target is placed; and 
 a stage cover movable in the sub-scanning direction and configured to support the stage, 
 wherein the stage and the sealing are parallelly disposed on the stage cover in the sub-scanning direction, and 
 wherein the stage cover forms a space configured to accommodate the sealing. 
 
     
     
       18. The liquid discharge apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the sealing is outside the stage on the stage cover in the sub-scanning direction.